Showing posts with label Cadillac. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cadillac. Show all posts

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On the Road: LeMay Family Collection

by Nancy DeWitt
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

I recently traveled to Seattle, Washington, for a vacation and decided to spend a day visiting the two LeMay museums in Tacoma. I started off at the LeMay Family Collection at Marymount, which is less well known than the newer and flashier LeMay – America’s Car Museum next to the Tacoma Dome.

Harold LeMay made his fortune hauling garbage, and it’s clear that he loved to spend his money on old cars and trucks. It doesn't appear that there was a particular theme to his collecting--if it was an old vehicle, he wanted it! That is reflected at Marymount. The numerous cars seem to be arranged rather randomly, and many lack signs or much information about them. Still, it is incredible collection to see, and this history of the Marymount facility is as interesting as the cars. I really enjoyed my visit.

The original buildings were all part of the Marymount Military Academy run by the Sisters of St. Dominica from 1923-1975. Eric LeMay, one of Harold’s grandsons, gave me a behind-the-scenes tour of the former housing complex, chapel, visiting priest’s quarters, and miscellaneous collections that aren't open to the public (though the chapel and some rooms are rented out for events). The cars are displayed and stored in the old gymnasium, auditorium, swimming pool, indoor rifle range, shower room, and several newer storage buildings. Expect a surprise each time you round a corner into another room.

I had been told I would see warehouses filled with cars, many fork lifted onto shelves, and parked so tightly that it was hard to fully appreciate them. The cars were indeed packed into the warehouses, but it was still fun to cruise the rows of trucks and automobiles looking for favorites. It's amazing how many marques and styles you will find. There is more elbow room in the main Red Building, and the gymnasium is quite spacious. I had to chuckle at the cars parked up in the bleachers!


You won't learn a lot about automobile history at this museum by reading signs, but they have excellent docents to fill in the blanks. And you will be blown away with the sheer number and variety of cars and how their styles changed over time. There are some very nice and rare vintage vehicles in the collection--Harold LeMay had a good eye and his vehicles here are very well preserved. I especially loved seeing trucks that I had never heard of before, and how could I not love the stiletto art car? Sweet Tucker, too. There's something for everyone here, including some interesting memorabilia and even a few vintage fashions.

Do go if you get the chance. And stay tuned for a post about the LeMay - America's Car Museum.























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Hershey Annual Swap Meet 2014

by Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

When I arrived in Hershey, PA this year for the annual swap meet I was greeted by rather decent weather. It didn't rain until Saturday morning, and then not too much, so it was much better than 2013 when we almost got washed away. It appeared that visitor numbers were down, but they were spending money and the vendors seemed busy.
This early original, single-cylinder Cadillac was a great looking survivor, and I would have brought it home if owner was selling. It was one of those cars that reached out and called my name, saying, "I would fit into Fairbanks just fine!" The owners were driving the car/pickup around the meet and it appeared to run smoothly like a Cadillac should.

This was a first for me, as I had never seen a Model T converted to a 4x4 like this. It was a very crude but clever job, and looks like it would have worked fine. It really makes you appreciate how these old cars got modified and used.
If you have never made it to the Hershey fall swap meet, you should go just to see what all is there. It always amazes me to see some of the things that show up at a swap meet for old CAR parts. I never thought I would see a pronghorn mount or a bear rug for sale there, but there they both were. I didn't bother to stop and ask what he wanted for them.
It is rather hard to imagine a scene like this--a nice warm day, and not having to elbow your way thru the aisles between the rows of vendors. Granted, this photo was taken early in the morning, but it is normally much busier than what I encountered. I think the rain last year must have scared some folks away.


I didn't find a lot of the parts we needed, as most are rather rare items. I did, however, find this and thought, "Wow, this would be perfect for the wife!" Then either common sense or fear made me rethink that idea.

There are always treasure collections that you can't walk by, just in case the part you need is nestled in one of the piles. And no, I did not buy the full antelope mount standing near the trailer.

So, another Hershey meet has passed, and I'm already planning to go to the 2015 meet.  I know our parts will be there!

Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying right here at Wedgewood Resort. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!

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Trivia Time!

by Derik Price
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

Two of the most common questions we are asked by museum guests are, “Where did you buy all these vehicles?" and “Who did you buy them from?” The short answer is, we’ve traveled all over the United States and bought them from individual collectors, auctions, and museums alike. One vehicle was even purchased in the U.K. and flown to Alaska. Do you know which one?  If not, here’s a refresher… 

But being interested in the history of these vehicles, I’ve often wondered where they were all produced. It was a rainy summer, and I had some extra time on my hands so I decided to map it out. I made an iPhoto album containing one photo of each vehicle in the collection and assigned each one its original place of manufacture.  You might notice a few things about this map.  First off, it’s not weighted, meaning, there is only one pin drop in Detroit, Michigan, even though a full 27 of our vehicles were produced there. These include the manufacturers Ford, Cadillac, Cartercar, Hudson, Chalmers-Detroit, Everitt, Dodge, Chrysler, Fordson, Hupmobile, and Packard. And in case you’re curious, the runner up is Indianapolis, Indiana, with eight vehicles produced there, including the nameplates American (Underslung), Premier, Henderson, and Stutz. Rounding out the top three is Cleveland, Ohio, with five vehicles in the collection made by Peerless, Rauch & Lang, White, Cleveland (motorcycle) and Owen Magnetic.



Not coincidently, you may also notice the outlined pin drops almost precisely define the area traditionally known as “The Rust Belt" (from the Dictionary of American History, Encyclopedia.com) 
----  The 1984 Democratic presidential candidate, Walter Mondale, is generally credited with coining the term. During the campaign, Mondale, the former vice-president from Minnesota, attacked the economic policies of incumbent Republican president, Ronald Reagan, stating that the president was "turning our great industrial Midwest and the industrial base of our Country into a rust bowl."  The media, however, repeated and reported the notion as "Rust Belt," and the phrase stuck as a good description of the declining industrial heartland, especially the steel and automobile producing regions in the Northeast and Midwest ---  

And finally, for your quiz, there are two vehicles in the Fountainhead Collection whose birthplaces are not shown on the map, as they were produced outside the boundaries of this area. Can you name them? I’ll give you a hint, the two States they were produced in are each known for their rich ‘Gold Rush’ history.  

Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying right here at Wedgewood Resort. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!

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Early Cadillacs in Fairbanks

by Nancy DeWitt
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum
1909 White Model M steam car.

Visitors to our museum are often surprised to learn that the first automobiles to arrive in Fairbanks were big expensive touring cars, rather than spunky little Model Ts. Prestigious names like Pope-Toledo, Franklin, White, Thomas, and Pierce were among those first arrivals between 1908 and 1910. Navigating what passed for roads in the mining district required the high-horsepower engines that powered these cars; plus, their owners weren't looking for a Sunday-drive pleasure craft, but rather a workhorse that could haul paying passengers and freight to outlying communities. A little Brush runabout and a Chalmers-Detroit roadster were imported here during this period, but they were most likely limited to in-town excursions until improvements were made to the roads.

J.H. Groves at the wheel of his 1910 or '11 Cadillac Model 30. Three of the
passengers are A.J. Nordale (mayor of Fairbanks from 1910-11),
Dan Driscoll (mayor from 1912-13) and Theodore Kettleson.
Photo courtesy of Frances Erickson
The first Cadillac in Fairbanks, a 5-passenger touring car, arrived by sternwheeler for J.H. Groves on July 3, 1913, just four days after the first Ford Model Ts were delivered here. Not surprisingly, Groves planned to use it as a passenger stage. Within weeks of its arrival, he decided to see if he could be the first to drive an automobile to Chitina. Alas, Bobby Sheldon and his Model T had a head start of several hours on him. Groves left town on July 30 with three passengers and then turned over the wheel to his nephew, Berkley Manford, at McCarty. The auto party rolled into Chitina on August 4, two days after Sheldon.

A glacial stream crossing in the Alaska Range that
didn't go so well. Photo courtesy of Frances Erickson.
Although Sheldon would go on to start his Fairbanks-Valdez passenger stage service with Fords, he was sufficiently impressed with Groves’ Cadillac to purchase it in 1915. “Business is increasing rapidly and I find it necessary to give my passengers the best accommodations possible,” he said, preferring the heavier, more comfortable cars to the light Fords and Dodges. In 1916 he added a 7-passenger Cadillac to his stage line. A competitor, Henry Williams, imported a Cadillac the following year for his own passenger business. 

We have five vintage Cadillacs on display in the museum. Our 1909 Model 30 (named for its horsepower) is very similar to the first Cadillac in Fairbanks, but has a shorter wheelbase and demi-tonneau body. When it was introduced in 1909, the 'Thirty' was a remarkable success, with sales that year far outstripping those of every earlier Cadillac model. It's not surprising that one of these popular cars founds its way to Fairbanks over 100 years ago. The Thirty remained the sole model in Cadillac’s catalog for six years, and in 1912 became “The car that has no crank” with the introduction of the Delco electric starter motor. 

We hope you'll come check out our Cadillac display!

Coming to Fairbanks to see the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum and other area attractions? Support the museum by staying at one of the Fountainhead Hotels. All guests receive half-price admission to the museum!





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On the Road: HCCA Modoc Tour

by Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

My wife, grandson and I recently escaped Alaska's record heat to take part in the annual Modoc Tour with the Horseless Carriage Club of America. The tour was sponsored by our friends Allan and Beth Schmidt, of Restoration Supply Company. This marked the 26th year for the tour, which was held in Alturas, California. The turnout was great, despite attendance being down a little due to some illness and other situations. At right is a 1913 IHC highwheeler that Allan brought up for us to drive. It ran without a glitch for all the tours. Rain and cold be darned, it kept on going!

Allan drove his 1903 Cadillac, which also ran without a glitch. The weather was a little cool, being 41º F on Wednesday morning and raining on Thursday, but Friday was sunny. Allan outran me in his Cadillac until the last day, when I decided to put the top down on the IHC. Then it was,"Katie bar the door," and the old truck picked up a whole lot of speed. Jack clocked me at 32 mph at one point, and the Cadillac could not stay with me.


Here are a few of the horseless carriages in front of the hotel before the tour began. There was a lot of  prep work to get some of them ready, but with Allan's well-maintained cars there was not much to do other than fill the oilers and  gas tank. We sure did miss seeing the Thurbers and their steam cars, but hope they will make it  next time.




The last day of the tour was the longest and ended at the Flournoy  ranch. It was a wonderful, sunny day and we drove past some great scenery through canyons and along some creeks. We saw a few deer and antelope along the way, plus a lot of old "bone yards" with some interesting looking stuff that I really wanted to peruse. Sigh, maybe next time.....



I love this picture of the the antique cars and vintage motorcycles parked in front of the old brick building. I don't know what will happen to this grand old building, as its only tenant is a used book store, and there probably isn't much chance of other renters moving in. It is truly sad to see the old store fronts closed and these little towns drying up, but at least some folks are hanging in and providing great service to try to keep people coming back.
Of course, one cannot have an old car event without a lot of good food! These folks put out a great spread for us, with barbequed chicken, a tasty salad with all the fixins, and then came out the pies. There must have been at least a dozen kinds, and try as I might, I could not begin to sample them all. It brought back a lot of memories of how the rural farm ladies could really put on a first-class feed with fresh made everything.

Wilma and Marcus had as much fun as I did, as Marcus got to drive the IHC for about 30 miles. Now it's time to begin the drive up the Alcan and head home!

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In the Shop: 1906 Cadillac Model K

by Nancy DeWitt and Willy Vinton
© Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

The Model K represents an important milestone in Cadillac's history. Henry Leland had introduced the first Cadillac in 1903, an attractive "one lunger" that sold surprisingly well and quickly earned a reputation for reliability, driving simplicity, ease of maintenance, and remarkable pulling and climbing capability. The Victoria, or “tulip,” body, in which the gracefully curved seat sides resembled a flower petal, became an immediate sensation when Cadillac introduced the Model K in 1906.

While other cars of the time were heavy and expensive to run, the single-cylinder Cadillac was light, reliable and cheap to operate. The Model K was also quite fast for a one-cylinder car, helping Cadillac reach their highest single-cylinder production total of 3,650 cars in 1906.  Because under-seat engines were by then passé, Cadillac disguised the Model K with a dummy front hood that housed only the radiator and water tank.


Leland, who came from the arms industry, understood the importance of precision-engineered interchangeable parts that could be assembled without the hand-fitting that characterized most automobile manufacturing in the early 20th century. Many doubted such a thing was possible, so Leland proved it in a standardization test conducted by the Royal Automobile Club in 1908 in Britain. During the test, three single-cylinder, 1907 Cadillac Model Ks were entirely dismantled into 2,163 parts. The test required that “no fitting, filing, scraping of bearings or grinding with an abrasive cloth” were allowed. Using only wrenches, screwdrivers, hammers and pliers, mechanics then reassembled the cars. All the parts fit precisely, and each. car was then driven for 500 miles on a track without any adjustments having to be made.  For this remarkable feat, Cadillac won the much-coveted DeWar Challenge Trophy, an award presented annually to the company making the most important advancements in the automotive field. Cadillac was the first American-made car to win this prestigious award. 


We rolled our '06 Caddy into the shop recently to get it ready for some exercise around Wedgewood Resort. It's a nice-driving car, and it even carried the Alaska Governor in the Golden Days Parade a few years ago. Alas, like many of the cars that sit for several months, the "bench gremlins" got to it. When we ran this car last fall, all seemed to work fine. However, when we got it serviced and ready to fire, the crank chipped off a little of the mating face (see photo at right) and gave me a little surprise. We ended up removing the crank adapter and had to fit the crank and the adapter so it would not let the crank spit out before it should.

As you might guess, when that happens these little spots of "hangar rash" begin to appear, and that just leads to more time in the shop...





This chipped fender is the result of the crank coming out prior to its normal departure time. In spite of these issues, the car is up and running again and will be out for some exercise in the next few days.

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Presidential Wheels

by Nancy DeWitt

With the country's attention focused on the upcoming presidential election, I couldn't help but think about the evolution of official presidential vehicles over the past century. The current presidential car, known as Cadillac One and The Beast, is a highly customized, armored limousine built by Chevrolet and badged as a Cadillac. For security reasons, the doors are 8 inches thick, the windows are made from bulletproof, 5-inch thick glass and the entire car is sealed against biochemical attacks.

1907 Model G White Steamer
President Taft's 40-hp, 7-passenger
Model M White Steamer
Cadillac One is a far cry from the presidential carriages and open cars of the early 1900s. William McKinley was the first president to ride in an automobile, a Locomobile steam carriage driven by F.O. Stanley in November of 1899. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to take a public automobile ride when he rode in a Columbia electric car in a 1902 parade. Although he preferred horses and always rode in carriages for state business, Roosevelt also rode in two White steam cars the Secret Service had borrowed from the Army in 1907. Perhaps one of these was a White Model G like the one in our collection?

William Howard Taft, Roosevelt's successor, was the first president to use automobiles exclusively for transport. After convincing Congress to allocate $12,000 for a White House automobile fleet, he purchased a 1909 White Model M steamer (identical to the sixth automobile to arrive in Fairbanks) as his first official car. Taft also bought two Pierce-Arrows and a Baker electric, and then converted the White House stable into a four-car garage. Taft and his White steamer are featured in this year's White House Christmas Ornament.

Photo courtesy of Candy Waugaman
Taft's successor, Woodrow Wilson, was also a fan of Pierce-Arrows, no doubt appreciating the smooth ride of these big, powerful cars. Our museum has two Pierce-Arrows that were built during Wilson's term (1913-1921), including a huge 1917 Model 66 A-4. Warren Harding was the first president to ride to his inauguration in car (a Packard Twin-Six) and unlike his predecessors, he knew how to drive an automobile. Harding rode in at least one Packard during his 1923 Alaska visit, including the 7-passenger touring car in Juneau pictured here.


Cadillacs were a favorite among several presidents, including Calvin Coolidge and Franklin D. Roosevelt. President Herbert Hoover bought a 1932 Cadillac 452-B V16 Imperial Limousine just before losing his reelection battle in 1932. It is identical to the one on display in our museum; in fact, for many years some thought that ours was the former Hoover V16 Cadillac. Many presidents purchased their official cars, and Hoover kept his limo when he left office. For security reasons, presidential cars today are completely destroyed when they are replaced. Fortunately, many of the earlier limos are on display in museums.


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Busy Times

by Derik Price

Sorry our post this week is a little late.  We're half way through the summer season already and it has been a blur at the Museum.  It's fair to say we've exercised more cars this summer than I can remember.  Willy even had to write a list on the shop blackboard to keep track.  (So far) they include - '05 Olds, '04 Buckmobile, '14 Woods, '12 Premier 4-40, '14 Grant, '09 Hudson, '29 Model A, '25 Stutz, '08 Brush, '09 Olds, '04 Rambler, '11 Oakland, '12 Premier 6-60, '13 Argo, '23 Ford, '03 Columbia, '99 Hertel, '10 Whiting, '10 Stanley, '20 Argonne, '28 Pierce-Arrow, '33 Hupmobile, '34 American Austin, '32 Cadi, '09 IHC, '06 Cadi, '11 Ford, '27 Stutz, plus today and tomorrow the '14 Moline-Knight and the '18 Stutz. Wow!  30 cars out and running in the last 2 months.  It's been tough to keep up with Willy - he and the crew have just been 'cranking' them out.  :-)   I've had the opportunity to shoot LOTS of video this summer and we have been posting new clips each week or so to our YouTube Channel so do check it out.



After the long winters here we sometime forget - there is just nothing that brightens up your day like the sparkle of brass in the summer sun.

So thanks again Willy, Ethan, Steve and the whole docent crew for working so hard to get the cars exercised in our very short summer season.

Derik


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